The pre-election period has witnessed mixed feelings about the Assembly elections in the Urdu press in Kashmir. The incidents of violence, killing of J&K Law Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, and the campaigning by various political parties have received tremendous attention. Daily Alsafa in its editorial (9 September 2002) said that there was a growing sense of unwillingness by the masses to be a part of the democratic exercise. It also said that the National Conference (NC) government has failed to keep its promises made to the people about development in the 1996 elections.

   The Srinagar Times in its editorial (12 September 2002) commented that the whole election atmosphere has been vitiated by violence. It further opined that “acts of terrorism have disappointed people and frightened the poll staff….the unfolding situation was not favorable for the election process.”

   Daily Aftab reported (12 September 2002) the attack on the bus carrying PDP activists campaigning for the election process at Bandipora. The Srinagar Times in its lead news (13 September 2002) carried the Musharraf statement in which he said that Kashmir elections will not be free and fair. It also quoted a Hurriyat spokesman as saying that the government “has itself negated the law, as the order of releasing of Jamat-i-Islami leader Ali Shah Geelani was not respected.” In a news analysis, it said that the NC president, Umer Abdullah, was embarrassed by the Congress allegation that the NC was responsible for the shooting incident in Surankot in which over a dozen security personnel were killed. 

   Srinagar Times in its editorial (13 September 2002) commented that the Election Commission “had failed in making elections a meaningful exercise in Kashmir.” It said that the writ of New Delhi in Kashmir had just become “a show of formality.” It expressed anxiety that even with a large army deployed on the borders, there was no qualitative change in the situation on the ground. It further commented that “even the little interest in elections was now withering away.” 

   Daily Aftab on September 10 in a political analysis said that black money was being spent “like water” in the election campaigning in the State, which was going on unchecked. 

   The decision of the Kashmir Committee to hold talks with the Pakistani Kashmir Committee has received considerable attention. Both the Daily Alsafa and Nida-i-Mashriq reported the development as their lead news (09 September 2002). Daily Alsafa opined (13 September 2002) that the development signaled a change in the Kashmir policy of Pakistan, which earlier did not recognize the locus standi of any other party in the negotiations on Kashmir.

   On the Hurriyat demand to the Jethmalani-led Kashmir Committee to persuade New Delhi to let the APHC leadership visit Pakistan and its administered Kashmir, Daily Aftab in its editorial comment (September 13) asked, “Why should Hurriyat leaders go to Pakistan” and opined that “it made no sense for the APHC leaders to visit Pakistan as they were in regular touch with the Pakistan government through its New Delhi embassy.” “This is all just a way of wastage of time and will all go in vain because such things have never proved useful in the past”, concluded the editorial. The Srinagar Times, in its lead news (September 11) reported Islamabad’s statement which expressed its desire for beginning a dialogue process with India. It also mentioned India’s stand “that Pakistan first would have to stop cross border terrorism before a dialogue process could be initiated.” 

   Daily Aftab in its lead news (September 10) said that “important deliberations were going on in Washington and New York on Kashmir”. It prominently highlighted the militant attack in Badgam in which three police personnel were killed. In its editorial comment on the same day the daily regretted that the situation on the Line of Control was war-like and that India and Pakistan “must take urgent steps to stop the situation from deteriorating.” In its editorial comment on September 11, Daily Alsafa in its editorial comment deplored that Kashmir had become “a hell” due to the continuous turmoil and that “the leaders on both sides of the political divide in Kashmir who were responsible for the prolonged conflict. It concluded by saying that “unless people on both sides showed flexibility, this conflict would never end, bringing unending miseries to the common people.”